My Journey to Shiva’s Night

It was my first visit in Nepal. After landed in Nepal airport, I was very exciting. The weather is not clean. I have not any booked plan in advance so that looking to do some sightseeing around the Kathmandu valley and hanging few days in mountain. I read many blogs, forum in trip advisor, lonely planet and others travelers’ books. Looking some information, I found Asian Hiking Team; it’s the north side of Thamel. I talked with Suman and he suggested me to visit and celebrate Shivaratri festival. It was 27th February; whole day and night is celebrating the Shiva Night.

Every year, on Shivaratri, Pashupathinath Temple prepares itself for this festival to welcome thousands of devotees into the arms of Lord Shiva. With his untamed passion, his unmatched vengeance and his nomadic lifestyle, Shiva has held a universal fascination. From hundreds of ash-covered sadhus to sari-clad middle aged women, from rebellious teenagers to the occasional blue-eyed foreigners, Shiva has won hearts of everyone. Shiva, the third god of the Hindu triumvirate, is worshipped as the destroyer. Kathmandu city was burning a bonfire in hope to get a glimpse of him; some of us will take long breaths of his favorite marijuana-laden smoke.Shivaratri Festival in Nepal

Seeing the Royal Kumari of Kathmandu is one of those cultural experiences. “The Living Goddess” is a pre-pubescent girl from the indigenous Shakya clan of the Newari sect of the KathmanduValley in Nepal. While there are approximately eleven Kumaris scattered across Nepal, the Royal Kumari is the most important and celebrated. Idolized and worshipped by many, but not all, Hindus and Nepalese Buddhists, the custom of reverence for the Kumari is a relatively recent tradition, dating only to the 17th century.In a land of temples and shrines, a Kumari is regarded as the incarnation of the demon-slaying Hindu goddess Taleju. Her reign ceases at the onset of menstruation or if she bleeds for any other reason. At that time, Taleju abandons the young girl’s body and she reverts to mortal status. Finding a successor for a departed Kumari is a frantic process. Using a specific group of 32 signs of perfection, five senior Buddhist Vajracharya priests meet with hundreds of girls from the Newar Shakya clan, the same caste to which Buddha belonged.